In this episode, Rob and Don sit down with Edd Vick, founder and publisher of MU Press and Comics F/X magazine, to discuss Edd’s history in comics and the independent comics scene of the 80s and 90s. Former guest Jeff Wood, one of Edd’s friends and contributors also stops by, and the four of them discuss comics culture, convention culture, and what they see as the future of comic books. All of this, and the real story of why the comics industry collapsed in the 90s are coming to you in this, the 18th episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Related

4 Responses to DNA Podcast 018 – Edd Vick and MU Press

I’m almost sorry that I joined this conversation; Edd was doing splendidly before I barged in (and I hadn’t heard many of these stories from him, either; new to me). I was badly distracted, too, since I was fighting with my non-cooperative computer, and it was winning.

My anecdote about the Seattle 4 Superhero strip by Chris Lightfoot is not accurate; on further reflection, the strip that I was describing was never published. As I recall, it was one of the upcoming unpublished strips when the Comics F/X ground to a halt and ceased operations. I’m not even sure that the artwork for it was ever completed. We should ask cartoonist Lightfoot about his recollections.

>Edd was doing splendidly before I barged in (and I hadn’t heard many of these stories from him, either; new to me).

There was a lot of stuff during the interview…. and during our prep for it…. that he sorta just mentioned in passing…. and it was really unusual and interesting stuff. (I remember he was concerned about having enough to talk about for the interview….)

>As I recall, it was one of the upcoming unpublished strips when the Comics F/X ground to a halt and ceased operations. I’m not even sure that the artwork for it was ever completed. We should ask cartoonist Lightfoot about his recollections.

See…. there’s somebody ELSE who you know that I’ve read their stuff. You guys know EVERYBODY! (Wouldn’t happen to know Ostrander and/or Truman? Just thought I’d ask.) We could probably do a bunch more shows with you guys and your contacts…. since it looks like you were right at one of the hubs of the 80’s underground/independent scene. (And that was such a crazy time for comics….)

I think it would take an entire series of interviews to unpack all of Edd Vick’s contacts and experiences… I was always surprised when I arrived at his home, to find various cartoon legends hanging out and watching bizarre movies and cartoons on his TV (I should mention that the VCR was always running at Edd’s house with strange, mind-bending shows… movies that I’d never heard of, sometimes in GENRES that I never heard of). His collection of weird stuff is mind-boggling, too, mostly books, but other stuff too, such as a small army of 1950s-style toy robots.

I can’t say that I know Ostrander and Truman, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they Edd personally.

About Us

The Department of Nerdly Affairs is a bi-weekly talk podcast dedicated to exploring different aspects of nerdly arts and culture. Together bringing over 80 years of experience to the table, the hosts, Rob and Don, try to take a seasoned, knowledgeable, and real-world approach to looking at the creation of nerd culture and the forces shaping it. The podcast covers topics ranging from from film and comics to writing and history, and pretty much everything in between. If it's a hobby shared by few or by many, you can expect to hear it talked about by the Department of Nerdly Affairs. New episodes every second Friday!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.